Brian Cushing not focusing on expiring contract

We’ve heard a lot from Texans linebacker Brian Cushing so far this offseason about the status of his rehab. By all accounts, it’s going very well.

What’s been talked about less is the fact that the 2009 first-round draft pick is entering the final year of his contract. The Texans typically re-sign (or attempt to re-sign) players they want to keep in the offseason before their contracts expire. Last summer, they made offers to quarterback Matt Schaub, outside linebacker Connor Barwin and left tackle Duane Brown, signing Brown and Schaub.

Cushing is a player the Texans want to keep. I caught up with him after today’s OTA session to ask if the Texans had begun conversations with his agent.

“No, you know, if they have, I wouldn’t even know because my main concern right now is just getting healthy and that’ll take care of everything else,” Cushing said. “If they have, I wouldn’t even know. I try to stay out of that stuff. Obviously, I would like to get that done but it’s not really up to me.”

Cushing’s injury came at an inopportune time.

“I know it wasn’t the best thing to really help with getting it done,” he said. “I think they know the kind of player I am, they know I’ll come back to be the same player if not better, so I’ve got that going for me. I’m on the right track right now and very confident that I’ll be back and won’t miss a step.”

I asked Cushing if the Texans had expressed to him that they’d like to keep him long term.

“I think so,” he said. “… After being a captain around here, I think I’ve played pretty well and done a good job with my role. I think that’d be someone they would want to keep around here and I hope so. So you know, i mean, like i said, i’m just taking care of what i can right now and hopefully that will take care of the rest. … With a city like this that’s embraced me, organization that’s embraced me as a player, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.”